On the ground floor of Katy's Palace Bar, at the entrance of the Amatuli décor shop is a great new place to relax, hang out, have a soda pop or a cocktail and a simple delicious snack. It's called Milk Bar and once you're in this airy little courtyard you'll forget that the bustling streets of Sandton are just outside its weathered shutters.This little African-inspired eatery in Kramerville has become the ''it" spot for corporates and trendoids to grab a cup of coffee at 6.30am on the way to work when it opens, or have a quick lunch and a cool Sxollie cider.Apart from serving coffee and sandwiches, the place makes amazing lamb and chicken bunny chows from bread they bake in tins.I was keen to try the ''township pie", but was told that I was too early for the dish as it's made and served later in the day.Instead, I tried the freshly made halloumi cheese, cucumber and tomato salad with mustard seed dressing.They also serve great hot dogs, flat breads, pot pies and sandwiches, including Parma ham and fresh mozzarella and chicken mozzarella and avo.The old-school mismatched furniture creates a laid-back, comfortable environment to relax in and enjoy your drink or meal.Most of the furniture is collected by the owner of Amatuli furniture store, Mark Valentine, on his trips through Africa and India. I loved the long steel table and chairs that he brought back from India.There are also intriguing artworks lining the shaded walls overhung with ferns in baskets. Photographs of African women captured by David Ballan take up the wall.When the sun sets on our Highveld city, the Milk Bar turns into a bar.After lunch I was about to order a cold beer when my eye caught the design on a striking brown bottle decorated with a Tswana-Sotho pattern.Inside this unusual vessel is a local cider made from Golden Delicious apples called Sxollie, produced in the Drakenstein mountains of the Western Cape.A bright green display fridge from which customers place their orders separates the kitchen from the courtyard.It's stocked with a range of beers from around Africa, a selection of wines and mixers for cocktails.The place is busiest on a Saturday morning, when customers looking for character-rich furniture frequent Amatuli and stop for some refreshment, or on Wednesday evenings, when the cafe caters to the overflow of people waiting to get into the famed Sir James van der Merwe parties.The lowdownWhat to haveThe bunny chow.What to drinkA cold beer, Sxollie cider or local Inverroche gin and tonic.How much do I need?R65 for a good lunch, extra for drinks.What not to doGo there without plenty of money to spend on your home - you'll be looking directly into the decor shop while you enjoy your meal.Who you'll spotCorporate people and collectors of special pieces of furniture...